Richard charged across the marble floor, his heavy shoes echoing through the vast foyer. He stepped between Gwendolyn and the kneeling maid, immediately pulling his daughter into his arms.
Richard: "Maya, I've got you! Daddy's here!"
Maya: "Daddy! Gwen pushed me! Gwen dropped Maya!"
Richard: "What did you say?"
Gwendolyn: "Richard, please listen to me! She's lying! She's a confused toddler!"
Richard handed Maya gently to Clara, stepping forward so fast that Gwendolyn had to jump backward in terror. His face was twisted in an expression of pure, explosive rage.
Richard: "You pushed my baby off a second-story balcony?!"
Gwendolyn: "Richard, please listen to me! It was an absolute accident! She was standing on the railing, and I tried to grab her dress, but she slipped!"
Before she could finish her sentence, Richard's hand flew forward. A sharp, thunderous slap landed directly across Gwendolyn's cheek, followed by two more hard blows in rapid succession that knocked her flat onto the marble floor.
Gwendolyn: "Ah! Stop!"
Richard: "You will never touch her again!"
Gwendolyn: "Please, listen to me! You can't hit me in front of the help!"
Gwendolyn lay on the floor near the American flag, clutching her bruised, red face in total agony and shock, groaning in pain as her silk gown spread around her like a puddle.
Richard: "Get out of my house right now!"
Gwendolyn: "Richard, I'm your wife! You can't just throw me out like trash!"
Richard: "You ceased being my wife the moment you tried to murder my daughter!"
Clara: "Mr. Vance, I heard her! She told Maya 'Bye-bye little one' right before she pushed her!"
Gwendolyn: "Shut up, you pathetic maid! You're making up stories to keep your stupid job!"
Richard: "Clara has been with my family for five years, Gwendolyn! I trust her with my life!"
Gwendolyn: "And what about me?! I gave up my career in Chicago to move into this mansion with you!"
Richard: "You moved in because you wanted my money, my position, and my estate!"
Gwendolyn pushed herself up to her knees, her hair falling out of its neat bun, her expensive makeup smeared with tears of anger.
Gwendolyn: "You hit me three times, Richard! I have bruises on my face! I am going to call my lawyer and sue you for domestic abuse!"
Richard: "Go ahead! Call him! Tell him you tried to end a toddler's life first!"
Gwendolyn: "It's your word against mine! No court in this country will convict a woman based on the claims of a child and a maid!"
Richard looked down at her with cold, merciless eyes. He reached into his charcoal grey suit jacket and pulled out his phone, tapping the screen twice.
Richard: "You really think I didn't notice how strange you were acting around Maya this past month?"
Gwendolyn: "What are you talking about?"
Richard: "I had our home security network upgraded last Tuesday. Every single corner of that upper landing is monitored by a 4K motion camera with surround sound."
Gwendolyn's jaw dropped. The color instantly drained from her face as she looked up toward the ceiling lights near the American flag.
Gwendolyn: "No... you're lying..."
Richard: "Would you like to hear the audio right now? I have it saved on my cloud drive."
Richard pressed play on his phone. The distinct, chilling sound of Gwendolyn's voice resonated through the high ceilings of the foyer: "Oops! Bye-bye little one!" followed immediately by Maya's terrified screams and the wind rushing past the balcony.
Clara pulled Maya closer, weeping quietly as she heard the terrifying recording repeat.
Gwendolyn: "Turn it off! Delete it!"
Richard: "The police are already on their way. You have about three minutes to explain yourself to them."
Gwendolyn scrambled to her feet, her lavender silk gown rustling as she backed away toward the front exit, realized her entire life was collapsing around her in an instant.